Now, before the usual emotional reflexing about “Port Arthur” and “America” hear us out.

Firstly, for all the criticisms of “now is not the time to talk about it have some respect” – I disagree. This is the best time to be having the conversation while it is in the public consciousness. Sure, there’s a line between being respectful and being disrespectful. The reality is, it is human nature to discuss and solve problems. Because strangers died in a tragedy that didn’t directly affect you is no reason to enforce blanket censorship or guilt on others who may have something constructive to say. Change will not happen after events like this unless pressure is brought to bear. Victimhood is not a badge of honour and meaningless platitudes and virtue signalling on social media is not constructive.

The fake outrage levelled at David Leyonhjelm illustrated that. Could he have been more tactful? That’s not for me to decide. But in a country that is currently locked in a battle for freedom of speech, dissenting opinions need to be respected. His point was spot on – the hypocrisy and absurdity of the anti-gun argument was laid bare, and they didn’t like it.We could go into their ‘respect for victims’ after a shooting, but we won’t.

Sure, you can validly debate the merits of defensive force in the situation, eg “bystanders/you would’ve just caused more casualties by shooting him.” Be aware that the hypothetical game goes both ways. The Nice truck attack was stopped by good guys with guns.

When two gentlemen stepped in with a baseball bat to try and stop the madman it was futile, but full credit to them for having a go – from the video the bystander effect was in overdrive (to be fair at that point no one knew what was going on and this was just before his rampage). However, the already suspected murderer faced no armed opposition until it was way too late and chose a soft target. Would it have happened if he knew there would have been armed resistance?

It also could’ve been stopped in self defence the night before when he was the suspect in a stabbing and we never would have gotten to this point. However, hindsight is a great thing.

My question to people who always come up against non-lethal items or firearms for self-defence (usually out of personal fear) is: what would you have done andwhat is your alternative? And the answer is generally one of two things:

blank stares

calls for more of the same incompetent, reactionary government that couldn’t protect them in the first place

It shows you just how deep the social engineering has gone in Australia, thanks mainly to a biased media. Was Bourke Street a failure of the justice system? Absolutely. But people have been conditioned to forget that these institutions only deal with punishment long after the fact – scant consolation to the victims. I can only speak from my perspective, but had that been my family that was run over my first questions would be “why did this happen and why did they not have a chance to protect themselves?” I think you would be hard pressed to find any decent human being that wouldn’t ask the same question.

After all, the question of whether we are safer or not in the post NFA era has hit home for a lot of people – we aren’t.Calling for more Police state authoritarianism isn’t the answer either. It’s a copout and Australians have already had so many personal freedoms sacrificed or stolen in the name of ‘security’ and for what? Why do you think One Nation are gaining in popularity? Will Gun Control Australia and the Alannah and Madeline Foundation start issuing edicts that we need restrictions on V8 cars? No one really needs them, you know.

It’s time to get serious about empowering the public by letting them have the opportunity to defend themselves, and end this useless and dangerous obsession with denying people the basic means and right to practical non-lethal and licenced lethal forms of self-defence, in the name of ‘muh public safety’.

Is it a complete solution? No, but the world environment has changed and the current system of outsourcing it to minimally trained, under resourced third parties that have repeatedly demonstrated they often don’t have the capacity to provide the service is not working. Lindt Cafe, Hornsby, etc all over again.

Bourke Street is an extension of a much wider problem regarding Australian self defence laws.

We all know what the likely response will be though: more useless laws, candlelit vigils, a dog and pony show inquiry, no real change and Police Minister Lisa Neville still in a job on Monday morning.

Hear, hear, lets get these discussions started…our world has changed greatly in the past couple of decades and society has to change to keep pace with what is happening. Personal self defence is a must and needs to be recognized as such.

Andrews has failed this state and the people in it. His false grief and his hollow promises need to stop. Snake oil salesmen like him don’t just grow a conscience out of nowhere, he will spend the rest of his time in office just doing damage control over his failed decisions, get voted out and then it starts all over again with the next snake oil salesman it’s the future ones that we need to get the message to. It’s not about them and their parties, it’s about the people of this state and this country. The ones that can’t get their voices heard over the opinionated morning show hosts, biased radio presenters, the judgemental biased news presenters the, ” social comentors ” and the hate groups mentioned at the start.

? I think you did cover it, but without rereading, if the guys with baseball bats had, had a concealed weapon and used it this would have been before the real carnege had happen so the real impact of this disaster would not be there, so if they had killed him they would now be the aggressor and in the deep shit ! Don’t get me wrong, I also think we should have more legal rights to owning a ?? gun of ? some sought of my choice, but this does open up a big bag of worms ! Even with out a weapon, if I intervene in a fight, dispute, conflict, what ever you call it, I ( that’s me), will end up in the wrong with our laws that we have now. You do realise that we do NOT ( in Australia), have the right to free speech in our constitution as they DO have in the USA ! Might be a little of track but our laws need fixing.

I agree with you, when we could drive anywhere in Australia with a 22,303 and shotgun in the back window of our cars we were inherently safer. I have always wondered why there were no firearms in the cars at little jonnys port Arthur fiasco.

Simple reason why there were no firearms in cars there Ron, Port Arthur is a tourist site, you don’t get many ‘average people, going about their daily business’ there. Bryant was nuts, but he wasn’t stupid – he did recon of a number of places before he settled on Port Arthur because it is isolated and there was little chance of a prompt armed response.

You think you are hard done by now? Just wait until the Hoplophobes leading the new Republic push gets to work, we got a small glimpse of their MO in December. Ever so quick off of the blocks when they thought the worst, tell me what makes you think ‘The Keeper of the Holy Legacy’ and Pirate Pete will consider the almost one million Hunters & Shooters rights and freedoms if they Ever get their way!

The media, the government both work hand in hand and love us being unarmed. Most states won’t even let you wear bullet proof vests. The message has to be spread far and wide, because most people don’t realize how strict the gun laws are.

People need to be red pilled and encouraged to read alternative news and actually see positive gun stories where they save lives! 7,9,10, ABC, Sydney Morning Herald, etc are all the same in the anti gun regime. There are no alternative voices! 2GB, 2UE, News Radio is the same in the audio world. If you hold pro gun or anti immigration views, your call gets cut. When news breaks like this, it’s the usual tear-jerk reaction and radio jingle sound effects leaving you in despair rather than offering practical solutions.

Understand this, the only way to prevent such an attack (either by nutcase or terrorist) by use of Police/Govt is to have such an insanely invasive surveillance system and colossally sized Police force to back it up that it would be utterly unaffordable and more to the point, would be considered an intolerable intrusion into the privacy of the average person.
On that basis, surely it now makes sense to allow law abiding Australians the basic right to a credible self defence?

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Firearm Owners United

Firearm Owners United was founded in response to the many hysterical voices crying out for further gun control in this country.
We already go through so many hoops to get our firearms as it is. We do not need more hoops. We don’t need a mother/father figure deciding what’s the best for us.
We are Law Abiding Firearm Owners, and we are sick of being treated like second-class citizens.